How stripped your souls must be to remove the binding element of man. Music is more than a profiteer’s quest for money. It is more than a wager for airplay on the radio, Pandora, or Spotify. And it is more than a festival removed out of industry greed. Reducing the integrity of music to these factors denies the entirety of mankind to the treasure that is rightfully, bountifully, and historically theirs.
The value of music should not be colored with red or black ink. The worth is found in its history of communion: a mother’s first note sung to her newborn child; a front porch gathering of neighbors on a Tuesday night; boyfriends strumming to girlfriends, and a campfire’s tale of camaraderie. Music is a group of friends on a Friday night, a lonesome song in the desert, a mountaintop chorus, and a church full of praise. It’s a music hall, a three day festival, a lonely room, and a night of a lifetime .
We who stand here remind you of this. Music existed before you and it must continue to exist after you. To remove the celebration of life that is music will ensure you have a very quiet funeral.
Author’s Note: I’m laughing at myself about this morbid ending. Please help me with tips on how I could have ended this properly. I didn’t want to publish it, but writing is all about being uncomfortable, right? Thank you so much for reading my blog. 🙂 Here it goes (grimace)…
BARBIE BEATON 
What you said so eloquently is so true. Music is a part of our being.
Songs played with real instruments and genuine singers, performed with feeling and talent is still out there if you look for it. Streaming is making it hard for bonafide musicians to make a living, but those of us who love it, will find the real thing.
I’ve heard you get paid $0.001 a hundredth of a cent for streaming or worse. When you have written something from your heart. Recorded each instrument manually. Sung your lungs out of your soul. Mixed, Mastered…and that is just the tip of the iceberg. What would be the point of recording?
Because we love music. We love playing it. We love hearing it. There is no greater celebration than a live show of a gifted performer.
Then there are others who make something on a computer. Is it still music if no instruments were played or nothing was sung, or their wrong notes were corrected with auto-tune?
Goodness Gracious, Excuse me I’m ranting.
What I wanted to say your post was awesome, well written and timely too.
Thank you. I totally agree with this. I have a lot of musician friends, from totally famous to street corner players, and the industry is whack-a-mole for all of them. It bums me out. Thanks for reading. Hope to see you back soon.
A fitting ending! Music is fundamental.
Morbid? Not at all (in my opinion). You spoke of a reality that most should be able to relate to. Whether in a church, funeral home, up a mountain, or in a valley, music surrounds us – with purpose. I loved your post and wouldn’t recommend changing a single thing. ❤
~ Angela
Hi Angela,
Well that is about the nicest comment I could have hoped to hear for this post. Thank you. I can’t help but laugh at the wording at the end, but in a way it works as a double entendre (between music and mourners). Thank you for reading and replying. Happy weekend to you!